Rick Everett (horizontal) and Dean Cross (vertical) in Snow on Mars. Photo Branco Gaica
I was delighted to see that Snow on Mars, our production in last year’s Sydney Festival, won the Sydney Theatre Award as Best Production for Children.
These are the awards voted on by a panel of Sydney’s professional theatre critics. Normally we pay no attention to reviews and awards; critics are idiots who wouldn’t know a decent show if it walked up and vomited on their foot (to misquote Steve Martin).
So imagine our surprise to discover that these particular reviewers are people of such intelligence and discernment.
It was Hell on Earth getting Snow on Mars to the stage. The story I wrote was simple enough, but the show required extraordinary technical work in video, aerobatics, music and choreography. It needed to fill the stage of a large theatre, on a very limited budget.
It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get it on, so it’s great that the achievement was recognised.
Thanks to all the production team from Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image under director Gale Edwards and congratulations to the terrific hard-working multi-talented cast.
This is the second time in two years that Theatre of Image has won the award – The Book of Everything won in 2011. Note to self: Write a new play very quickly to avoid missing out in 2013.
Well done, Richard! It was a wonderful production. We both loved it and promise never to (intentionally) vomit on your feet. Duncan & Jill
Thanks Duncan and Jill. I value your intelligence and discernment above those of many others!
congratulations
Thanks Pauline. Unfortunately no big cash prize, but a win’s a win and our fragile writers’ egos find these things most encouraging.
How wonderful! I’m sure the win was well deserved.
Yep, great team effort, executing the game plan.
Congratulations, Richard!
Any chance that “Snow on Mars” might be touring to South Africa at any stage?
That would be great, of course, Reggie. Know anyone who could make us an offer?
We’ve seen some wonderful South African theatre in Australia over the years – Athol Fugard plays, Woza Albert and now we’re looking forward to The War Horse coming to Melbourne next year, with puppets by the great Handspring company.
Time things went the other way, perhaps?
Oh definitely, it should! Sadly, I don’t know anyone in the local theatre industry.
Cape Town has several theatres, of differing sizes and configurations, so it might be worthwhile exploring it. These websites list some of them with contact details – http://www.discoverthecape.com/theatre.html and http://www.capetown.travel/attractions/entry/Theatres/.
Interestingly, there is also the Fugard Theatre in historic District Six (http://www.thefugard.com/). For musical productions there is The Barnyard Theatre (http://www.barnyardtheatre.co.za/), for cabaret performances there is On Broadway (http://www.onbroadway.co.za/), for an outdoor show there is Maynardville Open Air Theatre (http://www.maynardville/)…
Gosh, thanks for all that, Reggie. A friend of mine goes regularly to Cape Town to supervise the costume-making of all the big musicals – Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliott etc. These are remounts usually with South African casts and they sound as if they’re producing high quality work.
Oh, glad to have been of help… if it’ll mean that you bring your show(s) here, that’d be amaaaazing! 😉
We do have quite a range of venues for the performing arts, although I haven’t been to all of them – yet!